Photo Story: Frost Flowers

Here in the Ozarks, frost flowers form
on stems of ironweed in the fall. The stems pull moisture up from
damp ground. The moisture freezes on the stem and adds to what's already
frozen there.

More moisture continues to travel up the stem. So more
keeps freezing and pushing the petals further out. The
flower keeps growing until the morning sun melts it.

Water in frozen soil can no longer travel
up the stems. That's why frost flowers don't bloom in
winter.

Photos and text by Peter Callaway.

This is the Web site of the Bryant Watershed
Education Project, based in West Plains, Missouri. Our site is a toolkit
for exploring the Bryant Creek, North Fork, Eleven Point and Upper
Spring watersheds in the southern Missouri Ozarks.Learn more.